As well known, particularly in the medical field, a syringe comprises an elongated barrel typically formed of transparent material and having a cannula, e.g., a metal or plastic needle, adjacent one end for transmission of fluid into and out of the syringe barrel and a plunger disposed in the barrel and extending through its opposite end. By translating the plunger relative to the barrel, fluid may be drawn into the barrel, for example, from a medication vial or from a patient when drawing blood, or fluid may be expressed from the barrel through the cannula into another medical device or a patient. The barrel of the syringe typically has index markings along one side. The index markings serve to indicate the quantity of fluid within the barrel.
It is not uncommon in medical practice, particularly in an emergency room, operating room or intensive care unit, for patients to be simultaneously receiving a number of different drugs for treatment in an acute situation. Those drugs could include painkillers, psychotropic drugs, heart medications, medications to influence blood pressure, respiration or other physiological aspects. In the acute care situation, these drugs are frequently titrated according to the patient's needs. That is, sequential aliquots of medication are given, often intravenously, through an IV line. The effects are monitored and additional medication given within a short time period if the desired effect is not achieved.
Consequently, there frequently are a number of medical syringes containing different medications all "in use" close to the patient's bedside. Currently, there is no easy method of identifying or making these syringes with useful information, e.g., relating them to their content or to a particular patient, or both. In certain circumstances, indelible marking pens which are not commonplace and are expensive are used to write on the plastic. Alternatively, medical practitioners sometimes apply strips of white tape to the syringe to enable writing to be placed on the strip thereby providing the needed information such as an identification of the medication or the patient, or both or other information. Current syringes are therefore not readily receptive to writing with common ordinary writing instruments and additional measures are typically implemented, for example, applying tape to the syringe barrel to permit writing on the syringes.
Further, while the index markings on a syringe are typically black and may be read against the backgrounds seen through the transparent plastic material forming the syringe barrel, reading the index markings and the level of fluid in the syringe barrel is sometimes difficult, particularly against dark environmental backgrounds. It is therefore difficult with certain background environments to ascertain the quantity of the fluid in the syringe. Accordingly, there is a need for a medical syringe on which writing may be easily applied using ordinary and common writing instruments such as readily available ballpoint pens without the application of ancillary materials to the syringes, as well as a syringe which will facilitate the reading of the index markings on the barrel and hence the quantity of fluid in the barrel.